I had a request from @chandlervdw for an Octoberfest or pumpkin ale recipe for an upcoming Halloween party. I’ve never brewed an Octoberfest, or any lager for that matter. A couple weeks ago I brewed my annual pumpkin ale fall seasonal. This year was my first all-grain version. I also jacked up the spice 50% over what I did last year.

I don’t know exactly how this year’s version will turn out since I haven’t bottled it yet, but initial samples after primary were good. I used a fresh roasted pumpkin, but you can also use pumpkin puree if you don’t want to go through the trouble.

I decided to do a 90 minute boil to see if it gave any more of a caramelized flavor. Not sure if it really made a difference.

Roasting a Pumpkin

To roast the pumpkin, I took a medium-sized, 10-pound pumpkin, cut it in half along the equator and scraped out the seeds and innards. I then put each half open side down in a baking dish with a thin layer of water. I roasted the pumpkin for about an hour at 425 degrees.

After roasting, remove the skin and mash up the pumpkin flesh. The 10 pound pumpkin yielded about 6 or 7 pounds of usable pumpkin.

Below is the partial mash recipe I used last year. The spices were definitely apparent, but I felt that there was room for more. Then again, I like things over the top, so depending on how much spice you like, adjust as you see fit.